Lady in a long white robe holding a round fan, standing by rocks at the foot of a tall bamboo grove

Lady in a Bamboo Grove

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What you see

A lady stands near the bottom of the scroll, beside a cluster of rocks. She wears a long white robe, her hair in a high bun, and holds a round fan. Behind her, on the right, slender bamboo stalks climb almost to the top edge, while on the left another grove fades into mist. The eye travels up the stalks and back down to her.

The silk, a toasted gold, bathes everything in a warm, still light. Each bamboo leaf is drawn separately in dark ink. Spot the stone border curving across the lower left corner and the red seals scattered along the margins.

About Qiu Ying

Qiu Ying was born around 1494 into a peasant family in Taicang and began in Suzhou as an artisan decorating lacquerware before becoming a professional painter. His meticulous, elegant brushwork and his gift for copying Song and Yuan paintings won him the favour of wealthy collectors such as Xiang Yuanbian. He is counted today among the Four Masters of the Ming dynasty, and his daughter Qiu Zhu also became a painter.

All 12 works by Qiu Ying

More by Qiu Ying

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